open

[scalemate]

Characters: Terezi and you!
Setting: Anywhere
Format: Action?
Summary: Terezi is pretty shaken up after being hanged. Hung? Whatever. Come cheer her up!
Warnings: Nope.


[Mercifully, the sleep paralysis doesn't come with nightmares this time. It does last much longer, though, and after about fifteen minutes, Terezi begins to panic and wonder if she's going to be stuck this way permanently. And then, suddenly, she can move again.

She can't handle the cramped quarters of the room, so she begins to wander the tower, absentmindedly touching her neck once in a while. It isn't sore, of course, and there are no marks, but she almost thinks it would make her feel better if there were. She's keeping her nose sniffing for a familiar face, because hey, who knew being hung could shake you up so much? The irony of the fact that she died the same way her ancestor did is also not lost on her.]

Comments

[caliginous]

[True to his word, Karkat hasn't moved from his spot at the terminal, nor has he slept. Unlike usual, there are bags under his eyes, ruining the enter smooth image of his face. He looks far more worn than any real living being should, since the Tower wouldn't leave him at peace if he wasn't sleeping in his room.

But he doesn't care. Its not like they can really do much worse to him. He's lost both Kanaya and Terezi in the same night to horrible deaths that he couldn't do a fucking thing about. He's subsequently ignored everyone who has stumbled on him -- he's not even facing the hallway anymore.

Luckily, Karkat's eyes are dry. He's exhausted most of his emotion quota, and is left leaning against the terminal with half-lidded eyes. The metal feels cool against his skin. Its the only thing that reminds him that he's still awake and breathing.]

[scalemate]

[Relief floods through her when she spots Karkat from the stairwell, but of course, it's clear something is wrong. She really, really hopes nothing horrible happened to him, too.]

Karkat?

[caliginous]

[For the first time in hours, he moves to turn and look at the stairwell. Suddenly, he's very away of his breathing and heartbeat and it hurts because of how tired he's made himself.

Unlike the alpha Karkat, he had no reason to spent days without sleep. The only stretch of time he had avoided sleeping was during the hours they had played SGRUB.

He doesn't say anything -- he's too tired. Karkat stands and shuffles toward Terezi silently, promptly pulling her into a hug the second he can reach her.]

[scalemate]

[Oh, good, just what she needed. She hugs him back tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. It's pretty clear he did get into some sort of trouble, and she's not quite sure if it was linked to the fact that she died or not. She's going to be selfish for a while and not ask, though.]

[caliginous]

[That's fine, he really doesn't want to talk about it anyway. When she hugs him back, however, he clutches her tightly and buries his face in her hair. They can stay like this for a while.

He's really not planning on discussing it. She's the one who died, after all. But she's fine now. As long as he keeps reminding himself of that, he'll be ok.

Karkat's eyelids fall again in thought. He knows of a way he could make this easier, but he's not entirely certain how upset with him she'll be if he does it, and he's not entirely certain he can handle all of that emotion right now and still manage to keep a pokerface.]

[scalemate]

[Yep, probably not the best idea, considering what happened with the chocolates. She is totally content to just cling to him for a while, though.]

[caliginous]

You alright?

[Its a hollow question, merely asked for the sake of filling the silence. His voice is a little hoarse from the lack of sleep.]

[scalemate]

[She shrugs, sighing against him.]

Not really.

[verymuchalive]

[Dying and then waking up again is something Aradia's become used to, though the sleep paralysis part is new. Thus, once she's able to move again, she finds herself rather more concerned with the other players than herself.

She spots Terezi on one of the stairwells and heads over. She does remember seeing her friend within the group of players and she's glad the game appears to be over.

Of course, she doesn't know Terezi died yet]

Terezi! Is it over?

[caliginous]

Yeah, I didn't think so.

[Well, not entirely accurate. Thief of Heart, and all. But after that, he's out of things to say again. Its a painful reminder of why he had never pursued redrom back home.

He goes quiet again and lets his grip relax a little, though he puts his cheek back on her head, resting his forehead against one of her horns.]

[scalemate]

[This is definitely helping. She relaxes against him, nuzzling against the curve of his neck.]

Are you okay?

[scalemate]

[YES GOOD another awesome person. Terezi pauses, turning to face Aradia. Her characteristic grin is missing, though.]

I think so. It was only supposed to last until morning, right?

[caliginous]

[He picks up his cheek from her head and stares out the hallway, hoping Kanaya will follow Terezi in.]

Yeah. Everything's cool.

[Blatant lie. He knows she'll know. He doesn't care.]

[scalemate]

[SIIIGH okay she'll bite. She lifts her head, shooting him a frown.]

What?

[caliginous]

This isn't about me.

[He seems pretty insistent on this, not even looking down to meet that frown, but he knows its there and it makes him ten kinds of uncomfortable, considering everything that just happened. He's so not ready for this, so the next statement tumbles out of his mouth before he can stop it.]

I don't want this to be about me for a change. Ok? Ok.

[And after that, he clams up entirely.]

[scalemate]

[That actually gets her to smile, and she stands on her tiptoes to kiss him.]

Thanks, Karkat. I never knew you could be so selfless!

[caliginous]

Just keep it to yourself, alright? I don't hand that shit out. It ain't my way.

[The kiss grants her eye contact, which may or may not be a good thing considering how gross he looks right now.]

[scalemate]

[He is allowed to look gross. It's not like she can see him, anyway.]

My lips are sealed!

[After a second or so she pulls away from him a bit reluctantly and plonks down on the floor. Who needs chairs!]

[caliginous]

[The good news is that it hasn't been long enough for him to smell worse, so Terezi is in the clear.

He follows her to the floor, but only so he can drag her back into his arms and hold her there. SORRY TEREZI, HE'S KIND OF EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTED and also physically exhausted, but he wants nothing to do with his room or his roommates right now.

Not when he's so emotionally vulnerable.]

[scalemate]

[She is totally 0kay with this, and she curls up against him.]

Have you been sitting here all this time?

[caliginous]

Does it matter?

[That's a yes, by the way.]

[scalemate]

You are such a wiggler.

[caliginous]

Yeah yeah.

[That just needles him even worse, enough for him to ask:]

Speaking of wigglers, have you seen Kanaya?

[scalemate]

[Oh. She frowns.]

No. Why?

[verymuchalive]

I think so. I'm not really sure how these things are supposed to work.

[And then, looking closer]

Are you okay?